Taken (Many Lives Book 2) Read online

  To his credit, Vik takes it in his stride. A short nod and then walking to the table, he sits down.

  "So what else have you learned about the situation, Jaidon?"

  His voice is polite, formal.

  The only other person who’d called him by his full name was his mother. From her lips, it had been a term of affection.

  Thoughts of Ruby, never far from the surface, come pouring through. Perhaps it’s because he’s seeing Vik and Vishal together after a long time. And both half-brothers had loved Ruby. It was for her that they had put aside their differences to work together to build a new Bombay.

  And after she’d gone, they’d stayed together. Something that still surprises Jai.

  Vik had been voted to become the Mayor of Bombay. And Vishal had agreed to stay on as General. As if Vishal can’t help but stay close to his half-brother, shadow him, live off his energy.

  Since then an uneasy truce resides between the brothers. One that could snap at any moment.

  Jai pushes that thought away too.

  "The shifters," Vik prompts, his voice impatient. "What more have you learned about them?"

  Looking at Vik’s closed features it’s difficult to imagine that he’d shown concern for Jai’s wellbeing in their last meeting.

  Jai’s jaw hardens, "They are attacking the Jungle more frequently," he says.

  "We know that already," Vik makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "What else?"

  Jai hesitates, unsure whether to speak, but of course Vik’s sharp eye catches even that tiny gesture.

  "What?" he snaps. "What are you not telling us?"

  "It’s only my gut instinct," Jai says, his voice hesitant.

  "Instinct," Vik snorts. "You need facts, proof on which to base your conclusions."

  What he doesn’t say aloud is that it was instinct which had got Ruby killed. Hot-headed as she’d been, she had reacted purely on instinct in trying to save the wolf-cub, and in return had her daughter taken by the shifters.

  In that instant Jai wants to run out of the room and never look back. Inside, he’s too much like his mother. Impulsive, spontaneous, wanting to follow his heart on many things. He’ll never be what his father wants.

  A soldier.

  What he’s trained his entire life to be.

  He’s pretended it so far and meeting Aria has shown him just how close to becoming exactly that he is now.

  Cold. Unemotional. Just like the Mayor.

  And yet, the most creative part of him comes from Vik too.

  Vishal may have introduced him to books, but it’s Vik’s love of poetry, which first made Jai try his hand at writing. And he’d found that his ability to string words into phrases, into hidden gems of delight, had often brought tears to his own eyes as he’d bled onto those pages.

  Now, hearing his father question his conclusions, one solely based on a sixth sense that insists he is right, he knows it’s a losing battle. And yet he cannot stop himself from sharing what’s on his mind too.

  "The refugee strikes are just a front. A way of getting our attention. They want a safe place for their families. And attacking the Jungle is a way to draw us out, to get us to engage with them."

  "Good guess," Vik says. "Doesn’t explain why they’ve been attacking and carrying off some of the females from the Jungle, though. So far the shifters have been restricted to the refugee camp. If we give them space of their own, who’s to say they don’t become a danger to our people too."

  Jai hesitates, choosing his words with care. "They are getting desperate. Without enough of their own to propagate their species they are turning to humans. All the more reason to sit down and negotiate with them. Find a solution before it gets out of hand."

  "All this sounds plausible. But what do you have to back it up with? Vik’s voice is not angry but not pleased either. It carries that neutral 'parental' tone that Jai hates so much.

  "Not much…but what other explanation can there be?" His voice is serious.

  "Why are we even talking about these animals, just kill them all. Shoot them," says Vishal.

  "That’s if you can get to them. They’re too fast for bullets. And growing stronger every day." Jai directs his words to Vishal but doesn’t take his eyes off Vik.

  "Too fast for bullets? That’s impossible?" Vishal explodes but neither of them pays him any attention.

  Since Jai’s begun standing up to his father there have been more of these long, tense pauses. Silent fights unresolved until one of them, normally Jai, stands down. Today, he’s not going to give in. Jai doesn’t know why but this time it’s important that he be heard. That he win this round.

  Vik stays quiet.

  The lack of emotion on his face makes it difficult for Jai to figure out exactly what he’s thinking. He taps his fingers on the table, thoughts whirling through his head. "Why else would the shifters hit the camps in such a tactical manner? And each time before we get to them, they manage to escape."

  "Not the last time," Vik reminds him. "You got them then, didn’t you?"

  Jai’s stomach muscles clench at that. That shifter, the last one he’d killed, had been in wolf form, and yet had felt human. So human. And it hadn’t attacked him, almost as if it’d wanted to signal something to him. Tell him something. But what?

  He shoves the image from his head. "That was only because I had been nearby and arrived faster than anticipated. A few minutes more and they’d have been gone."

  "What are you trying to say?" A spark of interest in his father’s voice and Jai feels his shoulder muscles relax.

  "That we should talk to them. Find out what they want. Try to find a peaceful agreement before it’s too late," he says, his voice coercing.

  "You want to negotiate with your mother’s killers?"

  Jai flinches at his father’s words.

  "I loved her too," he says, his voice harsh, his face folding into granite hard lines. In that moment he resembles Vik more than he’ll ever know. "The shifters have hurt others…people close to me."

  He hesitates and as he says it he knows it’s true. That what he feels for Aria is different. And yet as powerful as what he’d felt for Ruby.

  "But this is now, and we have this city and its future to think about," he adds. "And if that means negotiating face to face with the shifters, then we must do it. Let’s not blame the entire tribe for the fault of one."

  Before Jai can complete his statement, Vik is on his feet. Coming around, he pulls his son up by his collar.

  More than the suddenness of his gesture, it’s the fact that it’s coming from Vik which startles Jai.

  He’s seen his father lose his cool perhaps once since his mother died. And now Vik’s face twists with rage, those amber eyes spark golden, filled with a churning, a desperation for something he’ll never have again. Pain bleeds out of Vik, slamming into Jai with a force that sends him reeling.

  He’s still not over Ruby’s death. Not after almost two decades. Perhaps he never will be.

  Vishal cuts in with, "Let the boy go." And when there’s no reply, he adds, his voice harsh, "He’s your son. He’s…Ruby’s son."

  If Vishal had intended to hurt Vik with that, he’s succeeded. Enough to snap Vik out of the anger that has gripped him. At the mention of Ruby’s name he stiffens. His grip on Jai loosens and his hands falls to his side.

  For a second longer, Jai senses the anguish in his father, then the mask is back in place.

  Vik raises his hand as if to touch Jai, as if he wants to say something. To apologize?

  But he doesn’t.

  Instead, he turns to Vishal and, snapping back into his role of Mayor, says, "I’ll leave you to look into it."

  Without waiting for Vishal’s agreement, Vik turns on his feet and walks to the door, his tread heavy.

  Jai’s breath comes out in a whoosh.

  17

  Jai knows he should thank Vishal for saving him from the brunt of Vik’s anger but he can’t bring himself to do so. Vis
hal had not done it for Jai’s well-being. To him it was another opportunity to get back at his brother.

  "It’s understandable that the Mayor does not want to share this city with shifters," says Vishal, picking up from where Vik leaves off.

  He does this a lot. Playing the de facto parent when Vik is not around. Which was quite a lot growing up.

  Except he normally never agrees with Vik. If anything he encourages Jai to rebel against his father. So Vishal agreeing with Vik is rare. And twice in the space of a few minutes is just plain odd. Enough for Jai’s instincts to go on alert. Enough for him to wonder what his uncle is up to. What is he plotting?

  Oblivious to Jai’s thoughts, Vishal continues, "Bombay is on the cusp of becoming one of the most prosperous cities in the world. The tsunami gave us a chance to wipe clean the haphazard growth of the last hundred years. To clean the city of dirt. Of the unwanted and start all over again."

  Jai’s heard his uncle say this many times before and never reacted. But today he can’t stop himself from speaking up. He’s stayed in this city and yet always managed to stay away from the refugee situation, from the shifter menace, from the plans his uncle always seemed to have for this city. But no more.

  Meeting Aria has brought the entire situation home. Made it all so personal. Suddenly the reality of everything that's happening around him hits. As if waking up from a deep sleep and finding that everything he cares about is under threat.

  "People," Jai says in a low voice. "The tsunami killed people, families. It’s why they never forgave Ruby either. It’s why she made me swear to stay on and protect the city. To make up for some of the hurt she caused."

  "They misunderstood her," Vishal raises his voice. "They have no idea what a blessing in disguise it was. She gave this city new life. A fresh start. A chance to do it right this time."

  "A fresh start at what?" Jai asks, knowing the answer yet wanting to hear Vishal say it.

  "To grow our economic power, make up for lost time, to become richer than the West."

  "Becoming an economic powerhouse? Is that all it’s about? Power, wealth—"

  "Control," Vishal bites out. "He who has power has control over his destiny."

  "Is that so important?" Jai asks, his voice soft.

  The other man’s desperation, his need to prove himself, reaches out to Jai. A part of him wishes he could do something to soothe it.

  Vishal starts and his features twist in recollection. "When you grow up like me, always on the outside, you learn very quickly that it comes down to control. He who has power has control over his own life, over his circumstances."

  Vishal’s speaking about his stepmother disowning him, casting him out. If it hadn’t been for Vik’s father he’d have grown up on the streets. Something he’s not likely to ever forget.

  Yet, the desperation, the complete acceptance in Vishal’s words, still takes Jai by surprise. He knows his uncle would be the Mayor of Bombay in a flash. But just how much he wants that, the fact that he wants more than that, is only clear now.

  His vision does not stop at controlling this city. It’s larger, more dangerous. But what?

  He wants to say something, refute what Vishal has said then, but stops.

  That kernel of something, that "gut instinct" which Vik hates so much, makes Jai hesitate. No, it wouldn’t do to rub Vishal the wrong way. Best to play along for now, keep him talking.

  Jai flashes a smile at Vishal. "You’re right." He says, "Tell me more. How can we have more control over the future of this city?"

  Vishal’s features brighten; it’s as if a weight has lifted off his shoulders. As if Jai is finally becoming the kind of the nephew he’s always longed for.

  Flinging an arm around the younger man, Vishal grips his neck in a friendly hug. "Shifters, Jai," he says. His eyes narrow, even as his lips pull back into a smile.

  It’s the first time Vishal has revealed a little more about what he’s thinking. Jai wants to prompt him but knows Vishal can’t be hurried. Instead he focuses his attention on the older man. Knowing the best way of encouraging the other man is to show that he’s listening with rapt attention.

  Biting his inner cheek, he waits…waits for his uncle to tell him what’s on his mind.

  Letting go of Jai, Vishal walks to the head of the long table, from where he can see the entire room at vantage point, and folding his bulky arms over his chest, he trains his ink-black eyes on the younger man.

  Jai knows what is expected of him.

  He drops into a chair, letting the other man tower over him. Conceding power to him. Knowing that’s the only way to make Vishal feel secure enough to share.

  Vishal doesn’t disappoint.

  "I have a plan for a powerful alliance. One which will take me a step closer to realizing my dreams," he says.

  And with each word he grows calmer, focused, his breathing steadies. And in that second Jai knows that ambition is the only thing that grounds Vishal to this life. It feeds him, gives him a high that nothing else can. Not love or lust or family.

  "You want to team up with the shifters?" Jai exclaims in a flash of intuition. "I thought you hated them?" His mind races ahead, trying to join the dots, trying to understand what exactly Vishal has in mind.

  "I still do," the older man replies. "Animals." He spits out the words. "Filthy half-breeds that they are," he mock shudders.

  "But you’ve found a way to work with them?" Jai asks, his mind racing now. "An inside connection perhaps?"

  "Ah!" Vishal shakes his head, his eyes almost twinkling with suppressed excitement. "You’re not getting me to confess everything now… But then some things don’t need to be spelt out, do they?"

  He bares his teeth in a smile and Jai wonders if these are just the ramblings of a person with half-formed plans.

  There’s no way Vishal could even be speaking with the shifters. They are not known for their helpful nature and definitely not when it came to humans. Not unless Vishal’s promised them something they want. Promised them a space, a home of their own. It’s the one thing they would do anything for. But not even Vishal would do that, would he?

  Would he team up with the shifters for power?

  18

  An hour later Jai rides his bike away from the Council headquarters and towards home. After that initial bout of sharing Vishal had clammed up as if suddenly aware that he’d spoken more than intended. Yet, the talk has left Jai with the feeling that time is running out. That his uncle will not stop till he fulfills his dream. And all he’s doing now is waiting for the right opportunity. One that can come anytime.

  Jai needs to find out more of what Vishal is up to. The only way to do that is to give his uncle the confidence that Jai is on his side. He must stay close to Vishal, shadow him. Get to know his innermost thoughts. Perhaps then he has a chance to protect his father and this city.

  As his mind goes over everything he knows, Jai finds himself thinking about the girl who’s stumbled into his life. There’s something there, he can’t put his finger to…a pin-prick of something not quite being right. A part of him wonders why his instinct made the leap from Vishal to Aria but before he can question it further that too is gone. Instead, thoughts of her crowd his mind.

  Of how his heart already knows what he wants from her. Yet his rational mind still resists what his gut is telling him: that it is her. She is the one for him.

  Now as he heads home, he can’t ignore the inevitability of what he feels. He’s surrounded by her. Her indigo eyes which lighten to an almost gray-blue when she’s angry. Deepening to a violet when she’s aroused. He’d noticed that, been fascinated by it.

  Every time he’s touched her, let his skin rub over her she has shuddered. He wants to pick her up and keep her safe, and the intensity of those feelings still take him by surprise. He’s still unsure what to do about them. There’s more than lust, though that is present too. That "something" which draws him to her. Which has him turning to her, thinking about her, smelling h
er even when she isn’t physically near him.

  He guns the bike, speeding up.

  Wanting to get to her.

  Wanting to see her again and find out for himself if everything he feels for her is real.

  Surely it’s not like you just meet someone, and within a few days, hell within a few hours, do they have such an impact on your life. The only other time his life had been shaken so much was when his mother had made him take an oath to protect his city. Made him swear on her sword. The sword!

  His mind jolts and he swerves, almost going off the road as he realizes he’s left the sword behind. It’s not like he’s been extra careful about it, but he’s also never let the sword out of his sight, not since he started using it as his own. He’s even taken it with him on his occasional forays to poetry jams. It has become a part of him. Until she came along and displaced it.

  And he’s been preoccupied enough with thoughts of her to leave it behind, with her, in his home.

  And then he knows that’s been her intention all along. That’s why she’s appeared in his life. To distract him. Get close to him.

  To take his sword.

  Even as he’s thinking it, his heart protests that it’s not true. That Aria does feel for him. She hasn’t been faking her reaction to him. The way her presence pulls at him, tugs at his gut. Her eyes that see through him. Her lips that tempt him to touch her and run his hands through her hair and feel her shiver against him.

  The engine’s idling and he doesn’t know when he braked to a stop. He’s sitting on the curve of the road that takes him onto the narrow bridge which links this island to the next one where he lives, and he can’t go on. Can’t bring himself to move another inch. It’s as if her eyes are calling him back.

  And yet he’s too scared to move.

  Too scared about what he’ll find when he reaches home. But a part of him wants to find out too. Can’t wait to find out. His mind insists that the chemistry is just an added bonus, and perhaps she even feels something for him. But all along, she’s been goading him, getting under his skin. Trying to get to the sword. And as he thinks that, he knows it’s true. And he’s left her alone with the sword.